LEGO Lord of the Rings Rebuilds Middle-Earth

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From Mordor to Mirkwood, an entire world is at your feet…

By Alex Simmons

There’s no denying the LEGO games are hugely popular, but they’re certainly guilty of retreading the same format time and again. Thank Gandalf then, that LEGO Lord of the Rings promises to mix up the formula a little and deliver something that remains faithful to the series, but is fresh at the same time.

LEGO Lord of the Rings follows in the footsteps of its predecessors by bringing the best scenes from the movies to life, and putting you right at the heart of the action. You’ll venture deep within the mines of Moria, explore the splendor of Rivendell and endure the exhausting climactic battle against the Uruk-Hai at Helm’s Deep. Indeed, the Two Towers’ finale was one new area Traveller’s Tales showed off at Gamescom and its every bit as chaotic as it’s cinematic counterpart.

As the orc horde pours forward Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn look out over the ramparts. Seconds later the assault begins, with siege ladders slamming into the wall. You’ve got to push them back, using Legolas to shoot the Uruk-Hai clambering over the top, before switching to Gimli, whose extra strength is enough to shove the ladders back from where they came.

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Much of the Helm’s Deep action is recreated scene by scene.

The attack continues, with more ladders funneling enemies into the firing line, before the camera tracks down to ground level to follow a torch-wielding berserker charging towards a cluster of bombs, They explode and the castle walls are blown sky high, and, this being a LEGO game, blocks of all shapes and sizes ping off in every direction before the relentless battle continues.

It all feels strangely familiar, but for once it’s not because we’ve seen the same gameplay rolled out for before, but because it’s follows the movies so closely. Much of the Helm’s Deep action is recreated scene by scene, and because the game uses dialogue ripped straight from the movies it feels like the most authentic LEGO game yet.

It is still a LEGO game though, which means it’s bursting with humour and puzzles, not to mention places to explore. This is best demonstrated in the new streaming hub world, which – literally – takes in every corner of Middle-earth. It co-exists alongside the main story game and as you beat different chapters of the game new areas of the map are unlocked.

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It is still a LEGO game though, which means it’s bursting with humour and puzzles, not to mention places to explore.

You’ll start in the idyllic calm of Hobbiton before progressing on to Bree, Rivendell, Rohan and beyond. Climb to the peak of Weathertop and you can look over to the Misty Mountains and across to Isenguard, and of course ultimately Mordor. And once you’ve completed the story part of the game all of this is open to your little hero and you’re able to run from one side of the world to the other if you so desire.

However, there’s more to this hub world than just vast expanses of gorgeous terrain. There are enemies to fight and puzzles to solve, and well as secrets to discover. You’ll find LEGO blocks made from precious Mithril, which you can forge to make tough armour or boots that enable you to jump further, or trade in to purchase high-end magical items. There are new weapons to discover too, which you’ll need to use throughout the land to progress further.

Currently much of Middle-earth is bare, with Traveller’s Tales admitting its still populating the different realms to make it feel like a living, breathing world. But already it looks impressive and in places it smacks of Skyrim, albeit with little stubby guys running round, scooping up bits of plastic.

Certainly, it’s great to see the LEGO series take a bold step, and while it might not be in an all-new direction the addition of an entire world will be a welcome one for veterans and newcomers alike.